A Second Chance
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: What if Crash offered Cortex a second chance as the Time Twister was collapsing? And what if Cortex accepted the offer? From that small action starts a journey of finding what you once lost, and getting a second chance at life. AU from Warped (Will be remade)
1. A Small Offer

**A Second Chance**

 **Chapter 1: A Small Offer**

In the centre of the Time Twister, an orange anthropomorphic bandicoot stood staring his enemy fearlessly in the eyes: it was Crash Bandicoot, and he and Aku-Aku were going head to head against Dr. Neo Cortex and Uka-Uka. The battle had lasted a good while now, with neither side holding back at all. But now, the time had come to end this; only one side can triumph, and only one side would be able to escape from the Time Twister as it was slowly collapsing around them. "We won't let you get away with this, Cortex!" Crash declared, as he watched his nemesis standing on his airship-like hovercraft with an energy blaster in his hand. Cortex simply showed a confident smile as he pulled the trigger back on his blaster, ready to end this and bring Crash down for good.

"We shall see about that, won't we? You've been a thorn in my side for too long, Crash, but now your time has ended and I will not allow anyone to interfere with my plans any longer!" Cortex replied, slowly aiming the blaster in Crash's direction, aiming directly at him. Crash simply stared with an expression of determination on his face; if there was anyone who would be seeing the end, it would be Cortex. But before anything else could be said or done, the area around the four started to rumble violently, sending pieces of debris plummeting into the centre of the Time Twister. Crash narrowly jumped out of the way as a piece of the support pillars crashed on the area he had been standing at, narrowly avoiding getting crushed. "Oh, I don't think that looks good at all..." Crash worriedly commented as he looked up to see that the Time Twister was becoming increasingly unstable. In a matter of moments, it would surely collapse in on itself. Aku-Aku seemed to take notice as well, because he quickly floated over.

"Crash, the Time Twister is collapsing! We have to escape immediately or else we will be trapped inside!" Aku-Aku warned. Crash promptly nodded in agreement; that sounded like a plan to him. Cortex apparently had the same idea as well, because he turned his head to Uka-Uka, showing an expression of worry as he jumped off his hovercraft.

"I think we best be doing the same thing as well. If one of us is still inside when the Time Twister collapses, there's no way to know what could happen to us!" Cortex explained. Uka-Uka didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to reason, because he showed an expression of anger that nearly caused Cortex to lose his balance from fear.

"NO! I will not let my chance for conquest be thrown away!" Uka-Uka snapped. Just then, the rumbling that they had experienced just a few moments started to grow stronger as more stone structures of the Time Twister started to fall down around them; it was clear that the instability was growing stronger with each passing second.

"Run!" Aku-Aku yelled. With this, Crash turned and started to make a run for it, wanting to get out before the whole area collapsed. Cortex started to follow suit, but the rumbling caused him to stumble and lose his balance, and he was nearly sent dropping into the open hole in the centre of the room, but he managed to grab the edge with his spare hand, stopping himself from falling in, with his blaster dropping into the hole as he lost his grip on it. Cortex then looked down to see blue sparks of energy slowly emitting in the centre; it seemed that a time hole was slowly opening up to absorb the entire Time Twister. As Uka-Uka floated down into the middle to see what was going on, he was suddenly caught by one of the sparks of energy.

"No! It cannot be! Not a prisoner of time again!" Uka-Uka cried. Cortex could only watch in horror as Uka-Uka was consumed by the sparks of energy, and seemed to disappear all together. Now it was just him, holding on for dear life and trying not to fall into the hole.

As Crash was making a run for it, trying to avoid getting hit by the falling debris, he turned his head to see a hand clinging onto the edge in the centre; it was Cortex, holding on for dear life as he was trying not to fall into the centre of the Time Twister and be absorbed by a time hole that was slowly growing in size in the middle. Crash then looked down with an expression of uncertainty, wondering what he should do; he didn't want to leave Cortex trapped in here like this, but he couldn't forget everything that had happened between them in the past. It was all clear in Crash's mind: the number of failed experiments he had been put through, the clash with Cortex on the airship after his castle had caught on fire the previous year and the way that Cortex tricked him into gathering the crystals to power his Super Cortex Vortex just three months ago. He could still recall all of that like it was yesterday. Crash knew what Cortex had tried to do to him in the past, but now, seeing him in this situation, it was something Crash couldn't stand for. He knew that there was something more behind what Cortex was now, and that he was the only one who could find what it was truly was. So, with a desicion firm in his mind, Crash nodded and ran over to Cortex.

Back with Cortex, he was looking down into the centre of the Time Twister to see that the time hole was slowly growing in size and that soon, it would consume him just like it did with Uka-Uka. _'So this is the way it was meant to end for me; trapped inside this Time Twister while it collapses, and I'll be consumed by that time hole. I don't believe that this is how I imagined my ending playing out, but it seems I have very little choice.'_ Cortex thought to himself.

"Cortex!" Upon hearing that voice, Cortex lifted his head up to see Crash staring down at him in concern. This was very different from the fearless glare that the bandicoot would show during their confrontations; it was an expression that Cortex never imagined he would see Crash showing him. "What do you want, bandicoot?" Cortex snapped back, showing an expression of annoyance; if he still had his blaster in hand, he wouldn't hesitate in blasting Crash right then and there. But all he could do was stare up at Crash as the bandicoot looked down at him in worry.

"I'm going to get you out of here!" Crash replied. Cortex quickly showed an expression of surprise at this answer. Did he really just hear those words come out of Crash's mouth? "I might not forget everything you've tried to do to me, but there's no way I'm going to leave you here, especially not in a situation like this." Crash continued. Cortex could only stare in shock hearing Crash say that; this was just something he never imagined would happen.

"Why would you want anything to do with me? I'm the one who's tried to do away with you twice now; I would have thought that would give you good enough reason to just leave me here." Cortex said, still struggling to register why Crash, the one bandicoot that he had tried to destroy on two occasions before and he had tried to do so a third time now, was here to help him escape before the Time Twister collapsed with him inside it.

"I thought so too, but I realised that was something I didn't want to do. I know we've been at each other's throats for over a year now, but I have a feeling that who you are now isn't really who you are, Cortex. I know that there is something else underneath all of your madness and desires of world domination. I know that isn't all you ever want!" Crash explained. Cortex simply shook his head in response, unable to accept what he was hearing Crash tell him.

"How would you know that? You don't even know me!" Cortex retorted. He was met with a surprise when Crash slowly shook his head in response; he knew that wasn't true in the slightest.

"I know you better than you realise, Cortex. I know that it sounds crazy, since I seem like I'm only a brainless bandicoot who does things without thinking, but there's a reason I'm who I am now. It's because of you; we were closer than you might remember. Before all of this started, you and I were the closest of friends, and you would never consider doing anything to hurt me. Even when all this started and we were against each other like this, I never forgot who you really are, Cortex. And I know that it's not too late for you; I know that you still have a chance at life, that you can still be the person that I remember you once were." Crash explained. Cortex was simply left wordless and then he looked down with an expression of shame; he could still remember what he and Crash were like before all of this started. But he tossed all of that aside when the desire for world domination, and the desire to do away with the one he cared for the most, overtook him, and he could no longer remember who he used to be. But he could see that Crash never forgot, that Crash still held all of that dear to him, despite everything that had happened over the past year and three months. He could see that Crash never forgot the real man that Cortex himself really was, when it was something that seemed to mean nothing to him now.

Crash then showed a smile and slowly reached his hand down to Cortex, who slowly turned his glance up to him to see his smile, something that Cortex always treasured in his heart. "Come on, Cortex. Let's get out of here. Let's start over, and take the first step to being as close as we once were." Crash simply stated.

Cortex only stared in shock and slowly closed his eyes as he placed his spare hand over his heart; this was a chance he never thought would come, and the one person he cared for more than anyone, and cared for him the same way even after all of this, was offering it to him. _'Is something like that even possible, though? Could I still have a chance at life? It all seems far away, near impossible, even. But... Crash knows me better than even I know myself. He knows who I really am, and he knows that such a chance is possible. I have been denying myself that chance, but that won't happen anymore. So long as Crash is here to help me, I know I'll be able to do it.'_ Cortex thought to himself. He could then feel tears slowly building in his eyes, something he never thought would happen again. He knew that, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he could never truly let go of the bond he and Crash shared. This was his true friend, giving him the chance to regain what they had lost. With this, he slowly opened his eyes as his tears streamed down his face and he slowly reached up with his spare hand as Crash grabbed it in his own. Crash then pulled him up from the hole and standing safely with him. Cortex slowly stood up to see Crash staring at him with that familiar bright smile on his face, and then he could feel a similar smile showing on his face; it was from immense joy and relief that Crash was giving him the chance he had been wanting for all this time, and then he turned his glance away while still looking at Crash.

"Crash... thank you... I don't know... how I could ever... make it up to you... for everything I've done..." Cortex whispered, struggling to speak in the midst of his building sobs; he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold in his relief that this was actually happening. Crash slowly showed a smile and nodded in understanding.

"It's okay, Cortex. I forgive you. I've always forgiven you." Crash replied, taking Cortex's hands in his. Cortex then turned his glance back to Crash and the two brightly smiled at each other. Just then, the two could feel the rumbling, that they had completely forgotten about, grow even stronger and then they looked down in the hole to see that the time hole had grown bigger during the two's talk and now it was starting to reach where they were standing.

"Run!" Crash immediately yelled as he and Cortex turned their heads to each other. Without a moment to spare, the two turned and ran for it as the time hole slowly grow in size, consuming the entirety of the Time Twister in the process.


	2. Back Home

**A Second Chance**

 **Chapter 2: Back Home**

Crash and Cortex had both lost track of how long they had been running for; all they knew for certain was that they needed to get as far away from the Time Twister as possible. After a few more seconds of running, the two came to a stop as they found themselves approaching the coast of N. Sanity Island. They came around a corner and Crash sat down against a palm tree while Cortex placed a hand beside a boulder so the two could catch their breaths after their long trek to get here. "I think... we made it... We're back on... N. Sanity Island..." Crash gasped, turning his glance up to Cortex. Cortex showed a small smile hearing this and then let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness..." Cortex sighed, relieved to hear that he and Crash made it out in time. After taking a few more seconds to catch their breaths, Crash and Cortex looked around to see if they could figure out where they were. "So, Crash, would you happen to know where we are now?" Cortex asked, turning his head to Crash, who had now stood back up to have a proper look at their current area.

"Well, one thing's for sure, we're definitely on the coast. I just need to figure out how to get to the house from here." Crash replied. Since he had been through a walking tour of N. Sanity Island when he was trying to figure out how to get to Cortex's Castle just a year ago, he could still remember the route he took. After taking a few seconds to figure out which direction he went in, while Cortex was waiting for him, Crash turned to him with a bright smile. "I know we need to go now. Come on, this way." Crash said, pointing to the left of where they were now. With this, he started to walk ahead into the jungle while Cortex followed just behind him.

As the two were walking through the trees, passing by hanging vines that were in their way with Crash in the lead, Cortex was having a look at his surroundings with an expression of awe; he was finding it hard to believe just how big N. Sanity Island was now that he was here. "So this is where you decided to make your new home..." Cortex commented, prompting Crash to turn his head hearing him say that. Crash then showed a big smile and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is. Isn't it great? I really like being here. It's peaceful, there's a lot to see and I have a great view of the ocean as well." Crash agreed. Cortex couldn't help himself showing a smile seeing that Crash was living on an island as content as this one; it almost felt like a completely different world to him, as he had become accustomed to the machinery and inventions he had at his old castle, so this felt like it was something he had been missing all this time. Crash then turned his head back to the road ahead, and then a big smile crossed his face as a small house with a yellow mailbox at the front came into view. "Look! There's the house!" Crash happily commented, pointing forward as Cortex poked his head out from behind Crash to see. The two then stepped behind a palm tree, noticing the house just up ahead, with Crash showing a big smile all the while. "Man, won't Coco and Aku-Aku be thrilled when they see me? Come on, let's get a move on!" Crash said, turning his head to Cortex. With this, he started to run over to the house, but Cortex, having suddenly realised something, immediately grabbed Crash by the arm to stop him, which simply left him running in place.

"Crash, hold on a second!" Cortex called. Crash stopped running and turned his head to Cortex, wondering what was wrong. "Haven't you given any thought into how they will react if they see me with you? They will most likely want you to get rid of me, and they'll think that I'm trying to capture you." Cortex explained.

Crash stared in surprise before he looked down to think for a few moments; that was something he didn't take into consideration. "That's right. I didn't stop to think about that. But I don't want them to worry about whether or not I made it out of the Time Twister before it collapsed; I don't want them to think that I didn't get out in time. So what are we supposed to do?" Crash asked, showing an expression of worry as he was trying to think of a way to handle this predicament that had just arisen. Cortex looked down to think for a few moments, rubbing his chin while doing so, before looking back up at Crash; he had a feeling that his suggestion might work.

"We'll have to find somewhere for me to live for the time being; somewhere that they won't bother to look." Cortex suggested. Upon hearing that idea, Crash slowly showed a bright smile and then he promptly turned around to Cortex.

"Cortex, that sounds like a great idea! And then when we feel that it's safe, you can come over to our house. For now, we'll need to find somewhere reclusive for you, and I think I know just the place to go. Follow me!" Crash replied. With this, he started to rush off to find just the right place, while Cortex stared in silence for a few seconds before running after the bandicoot to catch up with him.

Soon the two came to a small part of the jungle just a few miles away from Crash's home, and Crash turned to Cortex as they approached a small cavern that was covered by a large dark green bush, almost like a curtain. "Well, this is the place. I found this little area while I was making my way through N. Sanity Island, so I figured I'd set it up as kind as like a little place for me to relax. And since I haven't really used it in a while, I think it will make a nice temporary home for you, Cortex." Crash explained. He then pulled the grass bush back to reveal the interior of the cavern: it was a small area, with the basic essentials such as a small bed with a leaf blanket and matching pillows along with a small pile of Wumpa Fruit stacked up nearby. Crash then turned to Cortex with a bright smile as he let him step inside to have a look around. "So, what do you think? Pretty nice, isn't it?" Crash asked.

Cortex had a look at the small cavern before turning to Crash with an expression of concern. "Are you sure they won't bother looking for me here?" he asked; he wanted to be sure that he would be safe living here on N. Sanity Island for the time being without worrying that he would be discovered. Crash simply showed a confident smile and nodded. "Yep, I'm sure of it, Cortex. They won't ever find you here. In fact, when I started coming here, Coco would get upset because she had no idea of where I was; she said it was like I had disappeared off the face of the island entirely! So, I think it's safe to say that you'll be safe here." Crash cheerfully replied, as he then burst into laughter remembering the amount of times that Coco got upset at him during the times that he would come to this area as she had no idea of where he went. Cortex couldn't help himself showing a smile and chuckling to himself; he had to admit that even he thought that was amusing.

After a few more seconds of laughing, Crash slowly calmed down before turning back to Cortex. "Anyway, don't you worry about a thing, Cortex. You'll be safe staying here for the time being. As soon as it starts to feel safer, I'll let you know when you can come out. Until then, you just stay here and you'll be good. Now I need to head back home before Coco and Aku-Aku start to worry. I'll come visit you tomorrow morning, and we can start figuring out our plans on what to do about helping you." Crash explained. Cortex nodded in understanding, knowing what the idea was for the time being, so Crash started to head off to get back to the house.

As Cortex watched him, he then looked up as he still had something he wanted to say. "Crash?" he asked. Crash stopped in his tracks and turned his head to Cortex, wondering what was up. There was silence for a few moments before Cortex showed a grateful smile. "Um... I just want to say... thank you for helping me. I'm not sure how I'd ever be able to repay you for it. I still don't understand how I'm even getting this chance to start again, but I'm glad you offered it to me, before I considered it an impossibility. Thank you, Crash." Cortex said. Crash simply showed a bright smile and shook his head.

"Oh, it's no problem at all, Cortex. As I said earlier, I've already forgiven you for your actions in the past, and you can count on me to help you take your necessary steps to becoming the person you were before all of this happened. And given enough time, I'm sure that Coco and Aku-Aku will forgive you too, and they'll know that who you were isn't who you are." Crash replied. Cortex showed a bright smile and nodded in agreement, knowing that Crash was right; even though it would take some work and quite a bit of time, he was going to prove that his mistakes didn't define who he was. "I'll see you tomorrow morning!" Crash simply stated, waving to Cortex before turning to make his way back to his house, where he was sure that Coco and Aku-Aku were waiting and worrying about him.

As sunset slowly approached, with the sun setting over the horizon and painting the sky an orange and light purple colour, Crash arrived at the front door of the house and he looked through the window to see that Coco and Aku-Aku were inside, and they both had matching expressions of worry, as they were wondering where he could be. "I don't understand. How did Crash not get out with you?" Coco asked. Crash showed a bright smile, knowing that they wouldn't have to worry for much longer.

"When I made it out of the Time Twister, I couldn't see Crash anywhere beside me. I think he was still inside while I got out safely." Aku-Aku replied. Coco then looked down in worry, hearing that her older brother was still inside the Time Twister while it was collapsing without Aku-Aku noticing. "I hope that Crash made it out in time." Aku-Aku then added as he and Coco turned their glances down in worry.

"You can be sure he did." Coco and Aku-Aku both turned their glances to the front door to see Crash standing there, and he slowly stepped inside with a bright smile. "Sorry I made you both worry; I had a bit of a hard time getting out with everything collapsing around me." Crash explained. However, his explanation was interrupted when he saw Coco run over to him and throw her arms around him tightly, with a big smile of relief on her face.

"Crash! You're alright! We started to worry about you when you didn't get out with Aku-Aku, and I got scared that you were trapped inside. I'm so glad to see you're okay..." Coco explained, as she felt like she didn't want to let Crash go upon seeing him standing here, safe and sound. Crash stared down at Coco in surprise before he showed a bright smile seeing his sister this happy.

"It's great to see you too, Coco. Sorry for making you worry like that." Crash replied. After a few seconds, Coco let go of him and the two simply stared at each other with matching bright smiles. They then turned their glances to Aku-Aku, who floated over to the two with a smile of relief to see Crash.

"Crash, it's such a relief to see that you're safe. When I saw that you weren't with me when I escaped from the Time Twister, I started to fear that you didn't make it out before it collapsed." Aku-Aku explained. Crash simply shook his head to say that there was no need to worry.

"Sorry about that, Aku-Aku. I had a bit of a hard time getting out due to everything falling apart around me. But neither of you have to worry; I managed to get out with no harm done to me." Crash replied. Coco and Aku-Aku both looked at each other for a few moments, before they both turned to Crash with matching bright smiles, feeling extremely relieved to hear that.

"That's great to hear!" Coco happily commented. But then an expression of surprise crossed her face as she suddenly realised something that didn't cross her mind until now. "But... what about Cortex and Uka-Uka? I don't remember seeing them get out of the Time Twister before it collapsed. What do you think happened to them?" she asked. Crash looked up to think for a few moments before he turned to look out the window while Coco and Aku-Aku looked at him in surprise.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened to them. But I have a feeling that we won't be seeing them again for a long time." Crash replied. Luckily for him, he knew exactly where Cortex was and that he was going to help him in starting his life, and regaining the friendship that they once shared.

Meanwhile with Cortex, he was looking outside to see that night-time had fallen, and the stars were shining brightly in the night sky. "To think I used to take a sight like this for granted. Now that I'm seeing it again here, it makes me realise just how breathtaking a sight like this truly is..." Cortex commented to himself, staring up at the stars in awe. He then walked over to the cavern and pulled the leaf bush so it was completely covered and made himself comfortable in the small bed that was set up for him.

"Tomorrow will be the start of my new life. I'm not sure what will be waiting for me, but I know that I'll be facing it in a new light, and Crash will be there to help me regain everything I had once lost through my own selfish desires. But now it's time to put all of that behind me, and face the new day the way I once saw it." Cortex commented. With this, he laid down and closed his eyes, his thoughts being of what was awaiting him in the start of his second chance, and the one that would be helping him through it all.


	3. The Plan

**A Second Chance**

 **Chapter 3: The Plan**

The next morning, as the sun slowly rose over the horizon at the Bandicoot residence, Crash was sound asleep on the couch. As the sunlight poked in through the window, lighting up the living room, Crash slowly opened his eyes and sat up on the couch, letting out a yawn while he did so. "Well, it looks like it's going to be a lovely day again today..." Crash commented to himself, looking out the window to see the morning sky. As he jumped up from the couch to get on his feet, he had a look in the other room to see that Coco and Aku-Aku were both still sound asleep. "If they're both out, I guess that means I'm the only one who's awake." Crash commented, noticing how peaceful the two looked asleep. He then showed a bright smile and made his way over to the front door, grabbing his sneakers that were lying next to the door. "And if that's the case, that means I'll have time to pay someone a visit before they wake up." Crash added to himself, slowly opening the door, stepping outside and then closing it slowly to avoid disturbing the others while they were sleeping. He then put his sneakers on and started to make his way over to the secret cavern, where he was sure Cortex was staying.

Sure enough, over at the cavern, Cortex was sound asleep, as this was the first peaceful night he had had in a long time; he couldn't stop thinking about how much his life was going to improve for the better from this moment onward, and he was also looking forward to finding out what ideas Crash had in mind to get him started. As Cortex was enjoying his peaceful slumber, that was when he heard someone calling him from outside. "Cortex! Hey, Cortex! You in there? Good morning!" Cortex slowly opened his eyes, and showed a bright smile as he recognized whose voice that was calling him.

As he suspected, when he pulled the grass bush back, he could see Crash standing there with a big smile and cheerfully waving to him. Cortex showed a bright smile upon seeing his friend, and stepped out from the cavern to see him. "Good morning, Crash. You're up early." Cortex commented; as far as he could tell, he knew that Crash was often a heavy sleeper, so it was quite a surprise for him to see the bandicoot up and ready to go this early in the morning.

"Well, I wanted to be up to come see you before Coco and Aku-Aku woke up, so I figured it would be best if I came early." Crash replied, scratching the back of his head with a bright smile. Cortex simply nodded in understanding; that seemed to make sense to him. As Crash was happily staring up at Cortex, it didn't take very long for his glance to turn to the barrel of Wumpa Fruit placed against the wall inside the cavern. As soon as Crash took notice of that, his smile quickly grew in size and he jumped up inside the cavern while Cortex watched in surprise. "Now that looks delicious! You up for some breakfast?" Crash asked, turning his head to hear what Cortex had to say. Cortex could only stare in stunned silence for a few seconds before a smile of amusement showed on his face and he slowly shook his head; for how bright Crash could be, he certainly had his moments where he could get distracted very easily. But after a few seconds, he simply nodded in agreement before walking over to join Crash while the latter showed a big smile of delight at this answer.

A little later, the two were both sitting at the table munching on their Wumpa Fruit; as Cortex took a bite out of one of his, he couldn't help himself noticing that Crash seemed to be swallowing them whole in what seemed to be one gulp, showing a big smile all the while. As Crash was munching down on one of his Wumpa Fruits, he noticed that Cortex was staring at him in disbelief. "What's up?" he asked, his voice being muffled due to his mouthful of the Wumpa Fruit.

Cortex could only stare in wordlessness for a few moments before he found his voice again. "How are you able to swallow these down in one go? It's like you have no trouble getting whole ones down." Cortex commented, pointing to the Wumpa Fruit Crash was having; while Cortex himself only had a few on his plate, Crash's one seemed to be full of the fruit and it looked like Crash had stacked them in a pyramid shape just in front of his plate. Crash showed an expression of surprise at this comment before he showed a bright smile and plucked the three top Wumpa Fruit from his pyramid as he turned his glance to Cortex so he could answer that question.

"Can you really blame me? I really love these: they're so sweet and juicy, it's hard for me to resist them!" Crash cheerfully replied. Cortex slowly nodded in understanding and he was about to speak again, but he stopped as he watched Crash toss the three Wumpa Fruit up into the air and then lift his head up and open his mouth to let the three Wumpa Fruit drop inside before munching down on them and swallowing them after a few seconds, and then letting out a content sigh. "Ah... that really hits the spot." Crash happily said. Cortex could only let out a sigh to himself and slowly shake his head as he wondered just how Crash could be so unpredictable at times. But he figured that it would be best for him to worry about that as they had a bigger picture of have concerns about, and it seemed that Crash probably needed a little reminder of that.

"Crash?" Cortex asked. Crash turned his glance up to Cortex, wondering what was up. "Were you able to think of any ideas for getting me started on turning myself around?" Cortex asked. Crash showed an expression of puzzlement like he was wondering what Cortex was talking about and then he turned his glance up to think about for a bit of a refresher, while Cortex watched him in concern as he started to wonder if Crash had already forgotten about that.

Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case since Crash showed a bright smile as he remembered what Cortex was talking about. "Oh, I remember now!" Crash happily stated. Cortex showed a smile of relief at this reply as he was ready to hear what idea Crash had. Silence passed for a few seconds with Cortex waiting for Crash's reply before the bandicoot shook his head in response. "I haven't really thought of anything yet." Crash said. Cortex stared at Crash in shock for a few moments before he let out a sigh of dismay as he placed his head against the table; he was afraid that he would get that kind of response, since he knew what kind of attention span Crash seemed to have on occasion. Crash looked down at his friend in concern before placing one hand on the back of his head as he showed an expression of worry, noticing Cortex's visible disappointment in the fact that he didn't really have any ideas on what they should do yet. "I'm sorry, Cortex." Crash nervously said, not really looking forward to hearing Cortex's answer to this.

However, he was met with a surprise as Cortex lifted his head up from the table and shook it with a smile of understanding. "No, it's okay, Crash. I imagine that this will be a long road for the both of us. And if I'm being honest..." Cortex then slowly showed a nervous smile as he felt his face start to turn red in embarrassment. "I haven't really thought of anything myself either." Crash stared in surprise at this comment before he felt a smile of relief show on his face upon hearing that he wasn't the only one at a loss of ideas. The two then started to burst into laughter at the realisation that they were just as clueless as each other before they calmed down after a few seconds. "But in all seriousness, I really don't know where to start. This is so much for me to think about, and I have so many things to make right from the past that I don't know where to begin." Cortex added, showing an expression of shame as he turned his glance down to the table and slowly clasped his hands together; all he had spiralling in his mind were the mistakes he had made over the years, and how he had changed so drastically over that time that he wasn't really sure how he would be able to make amends for all the crimes he had committed, and the one thing that felt like the worst mistake to him... was trying to destroy Crash, his best friend. Crash seemed to take notice of the fact that Cortex had a lot he was thinking about, as he showed a gentle smile and reached forward to take one of Cortex's hands, something that the latter took notice of right away before turning his glance up to see Crash's gentle smile.

"It's alright, Cortex. I know exactly what you mean; considering how much has happened over the last year, I can't really start to imagine how hard this must be for you." Cortex slowly nodded in agreement, as he knew firsthand just how true that was. But then he showed Crash's smile grow brighter as he continued. "But there is something I think you need to know: it's true that there are a lot of mistakes you've made, and it'll probably take a long time for you to atone for all of them. But no matter how long that takes, I'll be right here beside you. I'll help you set right all the wrongs you've made. You won't face any of this alone; I'll be right beside you all the way. We'll get through this together." Crash explained, with the tone of his voice being completely sincere to show how much he meant all of this. Cortex could only stare in stunned silence hearing all of this before he felt a grateful smile show on his face as the realisation that Crash would be here to help him all the way through this came to him and he started to feel tears start to build in his eyes.

' _I think I just realised the reason Crash could never bring himself to hate me: it's because he never hated me. All he's ever wanted to do is help me regain what I once lost, and he'll never leave my side. He'll be there to help me make amends for all of my wrongs, no matter how long that takes. I don't think I could have ever asked for a friend as amazing as him...'_ Cortex thought to himself. He then felt the tears building in his eyes start to stream down his face as he realised just how much Crash valued everything the two of them shared in the past, and that he would be there to help him regain it. "T-thank you, Crash... I don't think I could properly describe how much that means to me. I could never ask for anything else." Cortex said. Crash could only show a bright smile at this reply, seeing just how much Cortex valued the bond they shared, even after everything that had happened. Crash then jumped up from his seat in alarm as soon as he realised just how long he had been out without Coco and Aku-Aku noticing, while Cortex watched him in surprise wondering what was up.

"I better hurry back before Coco and Aku-Aku go looking for me!" Crash exclaimed. He then stood up from his seat and stepped out from the cavern to make his way back to the house, but he turned around to face Cortex as the latter followed behind him to hear what he had to say. "I'll come back a bit later and hopefully I'll have thought of something where we can get started with helping you out." Crash said. Cortex slowly showed a bright smile and nodded in understanding, since that sounded like a good idea to him. Crash showed a bright smile with the knowledge that they would have an idea of what to do, so with this, he started to run off back to his house while Cortex watched him with a bright smile, as he was now looking forward to hearing from Crash how they would get started.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Coco had stepped outside and she was keeping an eye out for Crash as she was wondering where he could have gone off to so early in the morning. She then noticed that Crash was running back over to where she was. "Hey, Crash! There you are. Where did you head off to?" Coco asked, showing a bright smile and placing her hands against her hips. She then looked down at Crash as he bent down to catch his breath before turning his glance up to her; he knew that he had to keep the fact that he was helping Cortex out a secret until the time was right, so he knew that he was going to have to come up with something to hide where he was at. Fortunately, he had an idea of what to say.

"Uh... sorry about that, sis. I went out for an early morning run and I lost track of how long I had been gone." Crash explained. Coco showed an expression of surprise at this reply, since she knew that Crash was often a heavy sleeper and it would be left up to her to wake him up before he slept through the whole day. So it was safe to say that this was a bit of a surprise coming from him. Crash then started to show an expression of worry as he was wondering whether or not Coco would believe him, but luckily, she showed a bright smile and nodded in understanding much to his relief.

"Hmm... that's a bit of a surprise from you. But I guess that's alright. But... do you think you could let me know where you go next time? I didn't have any idea of where you went." Coco replied. Crash showed a bright at this reply and nodded in understanding to say that he would keep that in mind. With that taken care of, Coco showed a bright smile before she turned to head back inside. "I'll bet you must be hungry after going out on your run, Crash. What do you say to some breakfast?" Coco asked, turning her head to him. Crash showed a bright smile at the suggestion and nodded in agreement; even though he had already eaten while he was with Cortex, there was no way he was going to pass that up. He then started to follow after Coco as the two went back inside the house, looking back in the direction of the cavern with a bright smile showing; he was looking forward to visiting Cortex again, this time with an idea of what his first step should be.

Sometime later, Crash and Coco were making their way down to the beach; the two were planning to relax near the coast and maybe enjoy a bit of a swim. Obviously, Crash had passed on the latter option since he wasn't exactly the most experienced swimmer, something that Coco was all too familiar with. Instead, Crash found himself simply floating on the surface of the water while Coco watched him from where she was; he looked like a large orange log with eyes, a nose and a mouth. "You know, Crash, I don't think it would hurt all that much for you to least have a few swimming lessons. Maybe I could teach you." Coco suggested, shaking her head in amusement as she watched her brother's 'attempt' at swimming, namely just floating on the surface on his back like a dead fish. Crash turned his glance up to see his sister swim over to him as she started at him in amusement, before he adjusted himself so he was upright.

"Well, the thing about that is I know how to swim. I just prefer floating because that means I have less to worry about." Crash replied. Coco simply shook her head before she replied "But whenever you do that, you end up sinking most of the time." Crash could only roll his eyes in response; this was what he went almost every time he tried to swim with Coco joining him. Just then, a bright smile came to his face as an idea popped in his head and he started to make his way back over to the coast while Coco watched in surprise. "Crash? Where are you going?" she asked, wondering what had gotten into him to make him leave so early. It didn't take Crash long to arrive back at the coast, and he picked up his sneakers that were lying on the sand before turning his head to Coco to answer her question.

"I have something I need to take care of! I'll be back shortly, sis!" Crash replied. With this, he slipped his sneakers on before rushing off to head over to the cavern, while Coco watched on in puzzlement.

Meanwhile, with Cortex, he was enjoying an early afternoon nap. As he was lying on the bed and reading a book he kept to himself, he was met with a surprise when he could hear what sounded like footsteps coming towards the cavern. He slowly sat up before hopping off the bed and pulling the bush back to see Crash running over to him and he noticed that the bandicoot had a big smile on his face. "Crash? What is it?" Cortex asked, stepping outside to see Crash run over before stopping in front of him to catch his breath for a few moments. Crash then lifted his head up to see Cortex staring at him in surprise as he was wondering what was wrong, before he stood upright with a smile of excitement.

"I think I have an idea of what to do first!" Crash happily replied. Cortex quickly showed a bright smile at this reply, and he watched as Crash stepped inside the cavern before following after him to hear what his idea was. Once he was inside, Crash turned to face Cortex as he stepped into the cavern behind him before he spoke. "I had a bit of time to think about what we should do and I got an idea. I figured that maybe we should start out small, maybe like making it up to people close to you. Do you know anyone in particular that you know well that you didn't really think about in the past?" he asked.

Cortex showed an expression of surprise at this question and then he looked down to think about whom in particular he knew about, and then a smile crossed his face before he looked back up at Crash. "Actually, there is someone I haven't really seen for a while." Cortex replied. Crash showed a bright smile at this and stepped over to hear who it was, and he was met with a surprise when Cortex showed a photo of a little girl with bright blue skin and she was wearing a small dark blue dress along with matching shoes. Crash looked at the photo in surprise before turning his head to Cortex.

"Who's this?" he asked, pointing to the girl in the photo. "This is my niece, Nina Cortex. She studies at the Academy of Evil, which is the school I attended when I was young. I haven't really seen her since she was a baby, and I haven't really thought about visiting her. I wonder how she's been doing since then." Cortex replied, showing an expression of concern as he couldn't help himself thinking about how he hadn't really seen Nina since she was very young. Crash turned his glance down to think about how to handle this, before he clicked his fingers with a bright smile while Cortex turned his head to him wondering what idea he had in mind.

"Well, we can easily take care of that! How do we get there?" Crash asked. Cortex showed a bright smile upon hearing that Crash was going to help him out with finding Nina, and luckily he knew exactly how they were going to find their way to the AOE.

"We'll have to take my airship to get there, and that's over at the Iceberg Lab. Do you know how we can get over there?" Cortex asked. Crash quickly showed a bright smile and nodded in response. "Yeah! There's a port just near the coast; we can take one of the boats to get over there. But we'll need to figure out how to get there without Coco or Aku-Aku spotting you..." Crash replied, scratching his chin as he was starting to think about how to take care of that issue. After a few moments, a bright smile came to his face as he got an idea.

A little later, Crash was rushing down towards the port. As he stopped behind one of the rocks near the coast, he turned his head to notice a large bush shuffling over behind him, with Cortex poking his head out; Crash had gotten the bright idea of using a bush as a form of camouflage so Cortex wouldn't get spotted, and Crash couldn't help chuckling to himself seeing how silly Cortex looked, while the latter shot a nasty glare at the bandicoot for this idea. Crash then turned his head forward and he showed a bright smile upon seeing their destination. "There we are! There's the port!" Crash happily commented. Without a moment to spare, the two started to make their way over to the port to look for the nearest boat that would take them to the Iceberg Lab. As Crash was having a look around, Cortex poked his head out from his bush disguise to see what was going on, prompting Crash to turn his head to him with a smile of amusement. "You can come out of that bush now; we're in the clear." Crash said. Cortex nodded in understanding before removing the top half of the bush from his head and stepping out of the bottom half, since he knew that no one knew he was there.

"So what are we doing again?" Cortex asked, showing an expression of puzzlement as he needed a bit of a refresher on their goal. "We need to find one of the villagers; they just started business at the port and we have to ask him to take us to the Iceberg Lab." Crash replied, turning his head to Cortex while the latter nodded in understanding at this explanation. As the two walked down at the port, having a look around to find what they were searching for, Crash showed a bright smile as soon as he noticed something.

"Now there's what we're looking for!" Crash happily commented. Cortex showed an expression of surprise at this and walked over to see what Crash was talking about, and he could see that just up ahead, parked at one of the ports was a native boat and one of the villagers standing beside it. "Come on, what are we waiting for?" Crash asked, turning his head to Cortex as the two showed matching bright smiles. Without a moment to spare, the two started to make their way over to the port, while the villager turned his head to see them walking over, with Crash showing a bright smile and happily waving to him.

"Hey there! We need to use the boat. We're hoping to get to the Iceberg Lab. My partner here has the directions." Crash explained, turning his head to Cortex who walked to stand beside him to show who the bandicoot was walking about. The villager turned his head back and forth to the two for a few seconds before nodding in understanding and walking over to jump on the boat, while Crash and Cortex showed matching smiles of delight as they turned to each other. "All right! We're on our way to the Iceberg Lab!" Crash cheered, pumping a fist up in the air from excitement while Cortex simply shook his head with a smile of amusement watching his friend's outburst of joy.

With this, the two stepped onto the boat with the villager taking control of the piloting as the boat made its way out of the port onto the ocean to make its way over to the Iceberg Lab, with Crash and Cortex looking forward to relaxing on the way there; once they got to the Iceberg Lab, they would be on their way to the Academy of Evil, where Cortex was certain they would find Nina.


End file.
